Atletico Madrid 2-1 Real Madrid: Jose Mourinho discusses Los Blancos' La Liga title chances after damaging loss

By Matt Law | 21 Sep 2026 10:50, Last updated: 21 Sep 2026 10:52

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has insisted that his team can still win this season's La Liga title, providing that they are 'left alone in peace'.

Los Blancos suffered a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby on Sunday - a result that left them fourth in the La Liga table, six points off leaders Barcelona.

Mourinho has been highly critical of the officials following the Madrid derby, with the Portuguese believing that Atletico should have had both Lee Kang-in and Cristian Romero sent off.

The Portuguese attended his post-match press conference holding up the images of the two challenges.

Barcelona are flying this season and look a difficult team to catch, but Mourinho has insisted that Real Madrid can finish at the top of the pile, providing that there is consistency in decisions throughout the league.

“Obviously, we want to be in first place, and we don’t want to be in second, third, or fourth. We want to have more points than we currently have, obviously," Mourinho told reporters.

"But under normal conditions - because it’s not about how you start but how you finish - we’re talking about the end of September, and there’s a lot left to play.

"I’ve already said too much; I didn’t want to say more, but things have been seen in recent weeks: the disallowed goal against Osasuna is laughable, the penalty in San Sebastian is laughable, and the penalty for Barcelona is laughable.

"The non-expulsion against Athletic Club, with this gentleman who was very kind to a guy who is a great player - these are things that have been adding up.

"I thought I’d find a league different from the one I left. They told me no, and they explained why it wasn’t different from the League I left years ago. But we’ll keep fighting.

"The boys are leaving upset, but with their coach’s embrace, because I respect a lot what they feel on the pitch, and it’s not easy to be on the pitch as they are. If we want to remember the two red cards against Elche, no, but in the first minute, the yellow card for [Yan] Diomande.

"What our players feel on the pitch isn’t normal, but I liked my team as a team. I really liked the first half, and in the second half, it was obviously very difficult to keep the ball and control possession against a good team with an extra player.

"I liked the pride, the determination, and it’s a good feeling for me not to be disappointed with my players and to have nothing to reproach them for. Despite the negative result, it’s a positive feeling for me.

“If they leave us alone, in peace, and let us compete on equal terms with everyone, there’s still a long way to go. I don’t want to go too far and say this was prepared.

"I don’t want to think that. I want to think they simply made mistakes. Just as a coach or a player can make mistakes, I want to think the referee committee made mistakes.

"Poor people - they made mistakes, sending someone who’s 41 years old and has never been in a situation like this, alongside someone else with a very rich history against Real Madrid.”

Real Madrid will be bidding to return to winning ways when they take on Villarreal on October 10.

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